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Rockies' staff shuffle continues

Colorado adds development supervisors to minor league affiliates

By Troy E. Renck The Denver Post

Posted:
02/04/2013 11:07:28 PM MST

DENVER -- The jarring infrastructure change in the Rockies' front office is no longer limited to Coors Field. Last Aug. 1, Bill Geivett was promoted to director of major league operations, leaving him with a desk in the clubhouse, and the responsibility of overseeing day-to-day operations.

The Rockies have extended the idea to the minor leagues, adding development supervisors for each affiliate, save for Triple-A Colorado Springs, where they have yet to make a hire. The supervisors will have oversight over their clubs, helping to create continuity in philosophy and teaching throughout the minors. They will also travel with the team, the same as Geivett does for the Rockies.

All but one of the supervisors has worked in the organization. They are: Duane Espy (Double-A Tulsa), Fred Nelson (Class-A Modesto), who spent the past 27 years working for the Astros, Marv Foley (Class-A Asheville), Ron Gideon (short-season Tri-City) and Tony Diaz in (short-season Grand Junction).

The moves are part of a wide-ranging revamping of the organization following a 98-loss season. Earlier in the winter, the Rockies hired Mark Wiley in the newly-created director of pitching position.

The addition of the development supervisors led to a shuffling in the managerial spots. There will be new managers for five of the six minor-league clubs. Lenn Sakata is the lone holdover, returning to manage the Modesto Nuts.

Hill, the Rockies' previous first-base coach, will have Dave Schuler, formerly of Tulsa, as his pitching coach with Dave Hajek taking over for Rene Lachemann as the hitting coach. Lachemann was added to Walt Weiss' big league staff as first base coach in November.

Frank Gonzales, the former Colorado State University club and Fort Collins High baseball coach, is the new pitching coach at Tri-City. Gonzalez played baseball at CSU and spent several years pitching in the Detroit Tigers organization.

Notable

Another potential free-agent pitching target fell off the board Monday when Brandon Webb announced his retirement. The Rockies had mild interest, but the right-hander was never able to throw for their scouts. The Rockies are counting on recently-signed Chris Volstad, formerly coached by Wiley in Florida, to compete for a rotation spot.

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